British nationals evacuated from Israel as Iran conflict continues
The RAF has evacuated 63 British nationals from Israel as Tel Aviv and Tehran continue to exchange fire, the Foreign Secretary has told MPs.
David Lammy told the Commons that an RAF A400 had taken the group of British nationals to Cyprus on Monday, from where they will be taken to the UK, adding that more flights will follow.
He also confirmed that one British national in Israel had been injured during Iranian missile attacks and had been offered consular support.
In his statement to the Commons, Mr Lammy repeated his plea to Iran to return to the negotiating table following America's strikes on its nuclear programme.
He said: 'My message for Tehran was clear, take the off ramp, dial this thing down, and negotiate with the United States seriously and immediately.
'The alternative is an even more destructive and far-reaching conflict, which could have unpredictable consequences.'
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Times
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How did Britain get it so wrong on Trump and Iran?
Shortly before 11pm on Saturday Sir Keir Starmer received an unexpected call. The US, the prime minister was informed, had decided to bomb nuclear facilities in Iran. B-2 stealth bombers had already been dispatched, and the targeted bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities would begin shortly. He did not have to wait long. At around 11.40pm the lead B-2 dropped two 30,000lb 'bunker-buster' bombs on the Fordow enrichment facility, Iran's heavily fortified nuclear site built inside a mountain. Over the next 25 minutes, there was a succession of massive ordnance strikes aimed at destroying Iran's nuclear ambitions. Trump confirmed the attack on social media shortly afterwards, once the US aircraft were on their way back. The prime minister, who was staying at Chequers, stayed up until 2am, got a few hours' sleep, then started work again on dealing with the aftermath. • Operation Midnight Hammer: how the US strikes on Iran unfolded Trump's decision took the prime minister and the wider government by surprise. Starmer and David Lammy, the foreign secretary, had been convinced that there was a 'window of opportunity' to attempt to de-escalate the conflict. They appeared to have taken Trump at his word when the White House suggested on Thursday there would be a pause to ensure that there was a 'chance for substantial negotiations'. Ministers point to the fact that few in the US administration knew about the plans, with Trump's sheer unpredictability being a significant factor. 'The point is Trump's mind changes on a two-hourly basis,' one government source said. Another claimed that the UK was the only ally outside Israel given advance notice of the airstrikes, even if it was just an hour's warning. But the fact that the government's fundamental calculation — that there was time for negotiations — was clearly wrong raises questions about both the prime minister's judgment and the UK's broader relationship with the US. The government was effectively blindsided on a matter of huge geopolitical importance. On Tuesday, Starmer had been adamant that Trump would not intervene in Iran, saying he had 'no doubt' about the matter after sitting next to him at dinner at the G7 summit in Canada, despite very public indications to the contrary. The comments were unusually forthright for Starmer, who is generally far more cautious. His view changed a few hours later when Trump took to social media, threatening to kill Iran's supreme leader. As Starmer flew back to London, a Cobra emergency meeting was hastily arranged for Wednesday afternoon to consider options. The meeting discussed preparations to protect British citizens and soldiers in the Middle East, with 14 RAF Typhoons stationed at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus and soldiers in Iraq put on a high state of readiness. It was attended by Lord Mandelson, the US ambassador, who, by coincidence, had flown to the UK earlier in the week for his first visit back to London since starting the role in February. As well as meetings with ministers, he was there to attend the rededication of the George Washington statue in Trafalgar Square. At Cobra, Mandelson highlighted the growing impatience of the US with Iran. Also on the table was the legal advice of Lord Hermer, the attorney-general, who warned that the UK would be at risk of breaching international law if it allowed the US to use the Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean to launch its bombing the wake of the meeting, Lammy headed to Washington, accompanied by Mandelson, who cut his pre-planned trip short. During the flight, Mandelson briefed the foreign secretary on America's thinking. On Thursday, Lammy met Senator James Risch, a close ally of Trump and an Iran hawk. He left them in no doubt of the desire of the US administration for action. Their second meeting later in the afternoon was with Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state and national security adviser. Mandelson was also in attendance. The mood ahead of the Rubio meeting was bleak, with ministers and officials increasingly convinced that the time for talking was over. However, that changed when the White House issued a statement suggesting that it was going to pause, to conduct negotiations with Iran. The White House statement was carefully worded, stating that a decision would be taken 'within the next two weeks'. Nonetheless, it was met with relief in No 10 and taken at face value, with Rubio appearing to reinforce the message. 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North Wales Chronicle
5 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
UK ‘utterly condemns' escalation after Iran attacks US military base
Iran announced on state television that it had attacked forces stationed at Qatar's Al Udeid Air Base, in retaliation to America's strikes on its nuclear programme. Armed forces minister Luke Pollard said the UK was monitoring the 'fast-changing situation' closely and that 'the UK Government utterly condemns any escalation'. 'Force protection now is at its highest state across all deployed units in the Middle East,' he told the Commons. 'The additional RAF Typhoon jets announced by the Prime Minister have now arrived in the region to reinforce our posture, deter threats and reassure our partners, and I want to be clear, we will not rule out sending further capabilities if they are required,' he said. The Foreign Office had advised British nationals in Qatar to 'shelter in place' after a US security alert. Qatar, which had earlier shut its air space temporarily, said it successfully intercepted the missiles and no casualties were reported. A base in Iraq housing US troops was also targeted, but Iran did not claim credit for that attack. Foreign Secretary David Lammy had urged Iran to 'take the off ramp' and return to the negotiating table with the US. His plea came after an air raid by American B-2 stealth bombers and a salvo of submarine-launched missiles hit Iran's nuclear facilities on Saturday night. Meanwhile, the UK has started evacuating Britons from Israel, with the first group of 63 flown back via Cyprus and due to return to the UK on Monday. The Foreign Secretary said an RAF A400 had taken the group of British nationals and that more flights will follow. He also confirmed that one British national in Israel had been injured during Iranian missile attacks and had been offered consular support. Downing Street said 'around 1,000' people had requested a seat on an evacuation flight – a quarter of the 4,000 who had registered their presence in Israel or Palestine with the Foreign Office. The Government has withdrawn staff from its embassy in Iran and is operating 'remotely', Mr Lammy told MPs. Mr Lammy previously spoke of a two-week window for a diplomatic solution after President Donald Trump's apparent decision last week to delay US military action. On Monday, he said the window had 'narrowed' but told MPs the need for a diplomatic solution remained. 'My message for Tehran was clear, take the off ramp, dial this thing down, and negotiate with the United States seriously and immediately. 'The alternative is an even more destructive and far-reaching conflict, which could have unpredictable consequences,' he said. He also faced questions on the legality of the US strikes, but said it 'must rightly be a matter for the US government in relation to their action' and added: 'This was not our action. We have been clear that we were not involved.' Earlier, Downing Street had said that preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear bomb was a 'good thing' for the UK, but declined to comment on whether the US strikes complied with international law. Meanwhile, Israeli jets hit targets in Tehran on Monday including the security headquarters of the Revolutionary Guard Corps and Evin Prison, the regime's main site for detaining political prisoners and human rights activists. In turn, Iran carried out its own strikes against cities in Israel, and sparked fears of a wider regional conflict as it accused the US of crossing 'a very big red line'. Meanwhile, oil prices reached their highest level for nearly six months over fears a regional conflict could restrict supply, especially if Iran decided to blockade the Strait of Hormuz. The jump in prices prompted Mr Trump to post on his Truth Social platform: 'EVERYONE, KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN. I'M WATCHING! YOU'RE PLAYING RIGHT INTO THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. DON'T DO IT!' Mr Lammy told MPs the Government was 'closely monitoring' the energy markets and urged Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, saying a blockade would be 'a monumental act of economic self-harm' and make reaching a diplomatic solution even harder.
South Wales Argus
5 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
UK ‘utterly condemns' escalation after Iran attacks US military base
Iran announced on state television that it had attacked forces stationed at Qatar's Al Udeid Air Base, in retaliation to America's strikes on its nuclear programme. Armed forces minister Luke Pollard said the UK was monitoring the 'fast-changing situation' closely and that 'the UK Government utterly condemns any escalation'. 'Force protection now is at its highest state across all deployed units in the Middle East,' he told the Commons. 'The additional RAF Typhoon jets announced by the Prime Minister have now arrived in the region to reinforce our posture, deter threats and reassure our partners, and I want to be clear, we will not rule out sending further capabilities if they are required,' he said. Armed forces minister Luke Pollard said the UK was monitoring the 'fast-changing situation' (PA) The Foreign Office had advised British nationals in Qatar to 'shelter in place' after a US security alert. Qatar, which had earlier shut its air space temporarily, said it successfully intercepted the missiles and no casualties were reported. A base in Iraq housing US troops was also targeted, but Iran did not claim credit for that attack. Foreign Secretary David Lammy had urged Iran to 'take the off ramp' and return to the negotiating table with the US. His plea came after an air raid by American B-2 stealth bombers and a salvo of submarine-launched missiles hit Iran's nuclear facilities on Saturday night. Meanwhile, the UK has started evacuating Britons from Israel, with the first group of 63 flown back via Cyprus and due to return to the UK on Monday. The Foreign Secretary said an RAF A400 had taken the group of British nationals and that more flights will follow. He also confirmed that one British national in Israel had been injured during Iranian missile attacks and had been offered consular support. Downing Street said 'around 1,000' people had requested a seat on an evacuation flight – a quarter of the 4,000 who had registered their presence in Israel or Palestine with the Foreign Office. The Government has withdrawn staff from its embassy in Iran and is operating 'remotely', Mr Lammy told MPs. Mr Lammy previously spoke of a two-week window for a diplomatic solution after President Donald Trump's apparent decision last week to delay US military action. On Monday, he said the window had 'narrowed' but told MPs the need for a diplomatic solution remained. 'My message for Tehran was clear, take the off ramp, dial this thing down, and negotiate with the United States seriously and immediately. 'The alternative is an even more destructive and far-reaching conflict, which could have unpredictable consequences,' he said. He also faced questions on the legality of the US strikes, but said it 'must rightly be a matter for the US government in relation to their action' and added: 'This was not our action. We have been clear that we were not involved.' David Lammy urged Iran to 'take the off ramp' Earlier, Downing Street had said that preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear bomb was a 'good thing' for the UK, but declined to comment on whether the US strikes complied with international law. Meanwhile, Israeli jets hit targets in Tehran on Monday including the security headquarters of the Revolutionary Guard Corps and Evin Prison, the regime's main site for detaining political prisoners and human rights activists. In turn, Iran carried out its own strikes against cities in Israel, and sparked fears of a wider regional conflict as it accused the US of crossing 'a very big red line'. Meanwhile, oil prices reached their highest level for nearly six months over fears a regional conflict could restrict supply, especially if Iran decided to blockade the Strait of Hormuz. The jump in prices prompted Mr Trump to post on his Truth Social platform: 'EVERYONE, KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN. I'M WATCHING! YOU'RE PLAYING RIGHT INTO THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. DON'T DO IT!' Mr Lammy told MPs the Government was 'closely monitoring' the energy markets and urged Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, saying a blockade would be 'a monumental act of economic self-harm' and make reaching a diplomatic solution even harder.
